SGER: Exploratory Methods for Nanowire Fabrication on Insulating Substrates

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ABSTRACTPI: John N. Harb, Matthew R. Linford and Dean R. WheelerInstitution: Brigham Young UniversityProposal Number: 0457370ResearchNanodevices and nanocircuits require a myriad of electrical interconnections and there are significant and pressing problems related to the design, fabrication, and attachment of wires between and to these nanodevices. As the limits of optical lithography are approached, new classes of methods for fabricating suitable interconnects need to be explored. These methods must be economical and robust; that is, they must depend on chemistries and patterning methods that require relatively few process steps and are scalable to manufacturing situations. This exploratory project will assess the feasibility and potential utility of three different methods for nanowire fabrication on insulating substrates. These include electrochemomechanical patterning (ECMP), electrochemical lithography (ECL), and metallization of DNA templates (MDT). All three methods involve local chemical modification of a surface to create conducting paths in the desired pattern. The methods differ in the specific way that the local surface chemistry is modified (chemomechanically, electrochemically, or through molecular synthesis and placement). Chemical modification as a patterning strategy has the potential to reduce the number of process steps required for fabrication while increasing resolution. It is expected that such methods will have an impact on future generations of microelectronic devices, as well as immediate application in the laboratory for development of new types of devices that incorporate a host of new nanomaterials. Broad ImpactThe broader impacts of this work include the significance of this research for the emerging field of nanoelectronics, and the opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students to work on cutting-edge, high-impact research in a multidisciplinary environment that involves chemical engineers, chemists, and physicists.